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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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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: last · pass · current · board · calf · tube · mine · firm

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. last — final
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. firm — steady
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. board — a committee
  10. current — electric
  11. firm — a company
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. last — finally
  17. current — happening now
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — of water
  23. tube — a container
  24. calf — of the leg

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