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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: pass · cell · dip · board · chest · rush · staff · bark

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cell — in biology
  14. board — a committee
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. board — to get on
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rush — hurry
  24. staff — employees

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