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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: rush · march · content · staff · hide · present · leaves · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. march — the month
  9. staff — a stick
  10. march — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. content — happy
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. board — a committee
  18. present — a gift
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. present — the time now

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