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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rash — hasty
  3. kid — child
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. board — a committee
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pass — a permit
  17. board — to get on
  18. rash — a series
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — exactly

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