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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 120 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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. kid — child
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. kid — to tease
  16. band — a ring
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — to get on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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