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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. charge — in control
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — a price
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tube — the underground
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — a container
  15. rest — a break
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. board — a committee
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — electricity

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