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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — the season
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rock — a stone
  7. content — happy
  8. last — finally
  9. content — the amount
  10. board — a committee
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. last — final
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. last — to go on
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. tube — a container
  24. fall — to drop

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