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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cap — a hat
  9. last — to go on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. branch — a division
  16. cap — a lid
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. last — finally
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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