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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mug — to rob
  3. chest — a box
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cap — a hat
  6. board — to get on
  7. row — to paddle
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mug — a cup
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mug — a face
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. board — a committee
  21. last — to go on
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. row — a line
  24. cap — of ice

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