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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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 — to spend time
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cold — an illness
  5. swing — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. chip — for betting
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  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