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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — in sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — to sink
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. capital — a city
  21. net — after costs
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. capital — money

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