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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pass — a permit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rock — music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. net — for catching
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — to get on
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — in sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. net — after costs
  24. pound — a weight

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