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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. board — to get on
  5. rest — a break
  6. firm — decided
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. firm — a company
  10. fall — the season
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — to push
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — steady
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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