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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chest — a box
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pass — a permit

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