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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: date · stand · cap · board · rush · toast · tear · pass

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stand — to bear
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. toast — bread
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. board — a committee
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rush — hurry
  24. tear — from crying

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