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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pass — a permit
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fall — the season
  5. board — a committee
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ground — a position
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ground — crushed
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. board — to get on
  24. chip — to eat

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