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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rule — government
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bound — certain
  9. land — ground
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rule — a law
  16. land — to come down
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. face — to confront
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. face — part of the head
  21. board — a committee
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — a country
  24. pass — to spend time

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