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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. band — a music group
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spring — the season
  5. rash — a series
  6. present — a gift
  7. band — a ring
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. current — of water
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. current — happening now
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — there
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. present — the time now
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — electric
  24. rash — hasty

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