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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: game · pass · stick · board · drill · lean · present · cabinet

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. lean — to bend
  4. drill — a practice
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — there
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. board — a committee
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. drill — army training
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — a gift
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — a match
  24. board — to get on

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