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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. board — a committee
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. board — to get on
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kick — in football
  13. mate — to breed
  14. drill — a practice
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — army training
  21. row — a line
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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