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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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. staff — a stick
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spell — a short time
  5. board — to get on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a dance
  12. clip — to cut
  13. spell — letters
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — a container
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spell — magic
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ball — a great time
  22. staff — employees
  23. clip — a video
  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