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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. present — a gift
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wound — an injury
  9. clip — a video
  10. present — there
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stand — to bear
  17. board — a committee
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. content — happy
  20. present — the time now
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. content — the amount
  24. clip — to cut

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