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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. board — to get on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — a division
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — a committee
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — to crush
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. can — a tin

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