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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: temple · sharp · lash · board · wind · branch · pass · toast

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wind — moving air
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. board — to get on
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. board — a committee
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. toast — bread
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. branch — a division
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. board — a flat piece

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