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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. board — a committee
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — for catching
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fall — the season
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. net — after costs
  16. board — to get on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rock — music
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — in sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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