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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 124 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pop — soda
  5. branch — a division
  6. shower — rain
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mark — a trace
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mark — a grade
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. shower — to wash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pass — a permit
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mark — to pay attention

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