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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. board — to get on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — in biology
  5. board — a committee
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spell — letters
  9. mark — a grade
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rash — a series
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cell — a phone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. board — a flat piece

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