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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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. snap — to click
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. tube — a container
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mark — a grade
  17. staff — employees
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — the underground
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mine — belonging to me

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