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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — in control
  10. spring — of water
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. object — a thing
  19. spring — a coil
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. board — a committee
  23. row — a line
  24. charge — a price

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