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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. spell — a short time
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — of the year
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. board — a committee
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pit — a hole
  11. branch — a division
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — to get on
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pit — in a race
  22. season — in sport
  23. plane — a tool
  24. board — a flat piece

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