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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bound — tied together
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. bound — certain
  10. chest — of your body
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mug — to rob
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. chest — a box
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. branch — a division
  23. bear — the animal
  24. season — of the year

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