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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cell — in biology
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pass — a permit
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cell — a phone
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. staff — employees
  15. snap — to click
  16. staff — a stick
  17. branch — a division
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — goods
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — shares
  24. branch — of a bank

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