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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — music
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cold — an illness
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mate — a friend
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rash — a series
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — hasty
  23. firm — decided
  24. rash — on the skin

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