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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. kick — in football
  15. wound — an injury
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. board — to get on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chair — a leader

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