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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · fall · pass · game · mate · mug · rock · chip

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mate — a friend
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rock — music
  16. fall — the season
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fall — to drop
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. branch — a division
  23. game — a match
  24. mug — a face

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