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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — a position
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rest — a break
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tube — the underground

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