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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · mug · fine · branch · cold · pass

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. branch — a division
  9. cold — an illness
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spell — magic
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mug — a face
  14. fine — all right
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cold — not warm

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