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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: toast · roll · board · clip · saw · pass · branch · last

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. branch — a division
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. board — a committee
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. last — to go on
  11. clip — to cut
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. toast — bread
  24. clip — for paper

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