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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. board — to get on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pass — a permit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. board — a committee
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. file — a document
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. deal — to handle
  22. file — a tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bear — the animal

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