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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. land — a country
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chair — a leader
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — ground
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. land — to come down
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — a young animal

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