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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — a committee
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. board — to get on
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — a permit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  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