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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. kid — child
  3. file — a document
  4. kid — to tease
  5. board — to get on
  6. last — finally
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. file — a tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. last — final
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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