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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. board — a committee
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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