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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tube — a container
  3. lean — thin
  4. land — to come down
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. land — ground
  14. board — a committee
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — a country
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pass — to spend time

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