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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: present · wound · cabinet · pass · rush · mate · wake · staff

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. present — there

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