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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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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: spring · pass · squash · object · band · scale · wake · bank

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bank — for money
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — in music
  12. object — to protest
  13. pass — a permit
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. wake — a trail
  17. object — a thing
  18. squash — the sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. spring — a coil
  23. squash — to crush
  24. object — an aim

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