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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. board — to get on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mine — for digging
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — in football
  16. board — a committee
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. board — a flat piece

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