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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: nail · leaves · chip · stand · board · pass · tear · mouse

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chip — to eat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. board — a committee
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. board — to get on
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. leaves — of a tree

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