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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: squash · stand · branch · pass · chair · cold · key · wave

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pass — a permit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. key — in music
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — not warm
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stand — to bear

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