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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — a group
  3. mug — a cup
  4. board — to get on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — a face
  15. club — for golf
  16. root — of a word
  17. rest — a break
  18. root — the cause
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. file — a document
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rest — what's left

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