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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rest — a break
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rest — what's left
  6. board — to get on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a committee
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fine — all right
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. spell — magic
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. spell — letters
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. kid — child

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