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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — a contest
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — a committee
  16. race — the arms race
  17. foot — a measure
  18. race — humankind
  19. march — the month
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. board — to get on
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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