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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: pass · last · rock · pop · cell · nail · spring · leaves

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — music
  4. last — to go on
  5. pop — soda
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cell — in biology
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cell — a phone
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. last — final
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. nail — for a hammer

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