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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — a permit
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. key — for a lock
  15. kick — in football
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chest — of your body
  20. key — in music
  21. hand — help
  22. mark — a trace
  23. roll — a list
  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