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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rest — what's left
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rest — a break
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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