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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. 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. march — the month
  3. hand — in cards
  4. kick — in football
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. march — music
  9. row — to paddle
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — help
  15. bulb — for light
  16. row — a line
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. board — a committee
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. 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