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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. file — a document
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. board — a committee
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lean — thin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lean — to bend

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