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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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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 · toast · swing · mark · mug · pass · stick · wake

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. swing — music
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mug — to rob
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bank — for money

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