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

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. board — to get on
  5. date — the fruit
  6. snap — to click
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. board — a committee
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. branch — a division
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — a law
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rule — government
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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