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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. clip — a video
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cap — a lid
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kick — in football
  16. clip — to cut
  17. branch — a division
  18. cap — of ice
  19. clip — for paper
  20. board — to get on
  21. cap — a hat
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pass — a permit

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