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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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Word bank
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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: board · date · leaves · pass · bass · branch · temple · drill

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pass — a permit
  9. board — to get on
  10. bass — the fish
  11. date — the fruit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. branch — a division

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