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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: race · board · rock · lean · plane · hand · pass · stick

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. board — a committee
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. race — a contest
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — music
  9. lean — thin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hand — help
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — to get on
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rock — a stone
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. hand — part of the body

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