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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — tied together
  12. current — electric
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — of water
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. current — happening now
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bound — certain
  22. bat — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. branch — a division

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