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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 120 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bound — certain
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bound — tied together
  19. branch — a division
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — obliged
  24. staff — employees

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