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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — to be able to
  12. snap — to click
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. firm — steady
  17. rash — hasty
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stand — on your feet

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