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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · pass · board · toast · cold · roll · tear · mouse

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cold — an illness
  3. board — a committee
  4. cold — not warm
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. tear — to rip
  10. roll — a list
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. roll — a cake
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. toast — bread
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — to get on

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