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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rest — a break
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. march — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month

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