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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. land — to come down
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. charge — electricity
  8. season — of the year
  9. board — to get on
  10. land — ground
  11. season — in sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. charge — in control
  15. cell — in biology
  16. charge — a price
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cell — a phone
  22. board — a committee
  23. land — a country
  24. lean — thin

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