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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pass — a permit
  5. board — to get on
  6. band — a music group
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chest — a box
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rash — a series
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rash — hasty
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. board — a committee

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