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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — decided
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. board — a committee
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — to get on
  10. bank — of a river
  11. game — a match
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — a hat
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. game — a kind of play

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