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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rock — a stone
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. land — to come down
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — a country
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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