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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rush — hurry
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. march — the month
  8. staff — employees
  9. march — music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. board — a committee
  16. wax — to grow
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. chair — a leader
  24. kick — in football

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