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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 124 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. content — happy
  6. cue — a hint
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. content — the amount
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mouse — the 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