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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: rash · pass · season · present · roll · mark · land · trunk

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — a permit
  5. present — a gift
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mark — a trace
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. season — of the year
  16. mark — a grade
  17. season — in sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. present — the time now
  21. land — a country
  22. present — there
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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