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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 120 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: bore · straw · lean · fall · chip · pass · hide · board

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lean — thin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. board — to get on
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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