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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: safe · pass · row · mug · content · present · wound · board

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mug — a face
  3. row — a line
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. content — happy
  7. present — there
  8. board — a committee
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. content — the amount
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. mug — a cup
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. board — to get on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. row — to paddle

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