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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. row — a line
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — music
  6. file — a document
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. file — a tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. branch — a division
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. row — to paddle

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