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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bank — of a river
  3. object — a thing
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. club — for golf
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — to protest
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bank — for money
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — an aim
  23. ground — a position
  24. club — a group

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