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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. board — a committee
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. board — to get on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. capital — money
  17. branch — a division
  18. craft — boats
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — hurry
  23. row — a line
  24. capital — a city

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