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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. degree — temperature
  8. drill — the tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. degree — from a university
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — a series
  15. drill — a practice
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. board — a committee
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. hide — animal skin

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