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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. kick — in football
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — child
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. staff — employees
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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