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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. swing — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. band — a music group
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. net — for catching
  13. band — a ring
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. net — after costs
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. net — in sport

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