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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pop — music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — a committee
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. row — a line
  12. wound — an injury
  13. row — to paddle
  14. board — to get on
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pop — soda

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