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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cell — in biology
  10. last — to go on
  11. branch — a division
  12. face — to confront
  13. cell — a phone
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — finally
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. last — final
  24. straw — a straw man

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