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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rule — a law
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rule — government
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. branch — a division

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