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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. land — a country
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wind — moving air
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. drill — army training
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. land — ground
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. board — a committee
  22. land — to come down
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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