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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — finally
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. last — final
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a partner
  14. last — to go on
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pass — a permit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bank — of a river

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