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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · pass · stock · plane · present · leaves · wound · race

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. race — humankind
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — a permit
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — an injury
  11. board — to get on
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. race — the arms race
  14. present — there
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. present — the time now
  17. plane — a tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stock — shares
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — goods

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