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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: toast · pass · cold · trunk · rock · bay · rush · spring

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. spring — of water
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rock — music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cold — not warm
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. spring — the season
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. toast — bread

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