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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. dip — to sink
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bass — low music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pass — a permit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. staff — a stick
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. season — of the year
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. board — to get on
  22. staff — employees
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chest — of your body

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