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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 120 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: pass · nail · chair · bank · mate · mine · pit · wound

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — of a river
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bank — for money
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bank — for money
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mine — belonging to me

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