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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — to get on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. board — a committee
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — a permit
  10. scale — in music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wake — a trail

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