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

Word bank: board · content · hide · chair · cabinet · last · pass · fall

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — the amount
  10. fall — to drop
  11. board — a committee
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. last — to go on
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. board — to get on
  16. last — finally
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. content — happy
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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