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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: jam · pass · trunk · mate · mark · band · safe · leaves

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — a friend
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. band — a music group
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. band — a ring
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mark — a trace
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mate — a partner

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