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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. firm — a company
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fall — to drop
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. present — a gift
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. season — in sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. present — there
  17. fall — the season
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — of the year
  23. firm — decided
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com