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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: spring · saw · rest · game · pass · rash · clip · board

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. spring — of water
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spring — the season
  7. game — wild animals
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. game — a match
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — a permit
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — a video
  24. rest — what's left

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