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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. board — a committee
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. last — final
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cap — a hat
  14. perch — the fish
  15. board — to get on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — a lid
  20. last — to go on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — finally
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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