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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. key — for a lock
  3. last — to go on
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. last — final
  7. wax — to grow
  8. key — in music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. last — finally
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rule — a law
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. board — a committee
  20. rule — government
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. board — to get on

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