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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: rush · cold · leaves · branch · chair · rock · chip · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cold — an illness
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cold — not warm
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chip — for betting
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — a division
  16. rock — music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chair — a leader
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pass — a permit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rock — to move gently

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