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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: bank · nail · pass · rash · can · trunk · game · march

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. march — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. march — the month
  16. game — a match
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. march — the month
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pass — a permit
  21. game — wild animals
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — to be able to

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