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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mug — a face
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — music
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — to rob
  11. branch — a division
  12. saw — the tool
  13. march — the month
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. object — an aim
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wound — an injury

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