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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rock — music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — a tin
  8. board — to get on
  9. can — to be able to
  10. content — the amount
  11. rock — a stone
  12. content — happy
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — a committee
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left

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