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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rule — government
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. tube — the underground
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. last — finally
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rule — a law
  16. bore — to tire
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bass — low music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pass — a permit
  24. last — to go 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