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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. track — a song
  6. rock — a stone
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cold — an illness
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — a break
  12. cold — not warm
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rock — music
  16. charge — in control
  17. track — a path
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pass — a permit
  24. squash — the vegetable

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