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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · can · object · cap · wake · pass · lash · branch

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pass — a permit
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. branch — a division
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — a hat
  12. present — the time now
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wake — a trail
  15. object — an aim
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. object — a thing
  20. present — there
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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