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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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fine — all right
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — a division
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — for digging

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