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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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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: mine · wake · pass · jam · toast · cabinet · rest · season

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — of the year
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. mine — for digging
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. jam — in traffic

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