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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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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: trunk · board · fall · pass · hide · bay · swing · nail

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. board — to get on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. swing — music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pass — a permit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. board — a committee
  22. fall — the season
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pass — to spend time

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