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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ball — a great time
  3. object — to protest
  4. drill — the tool
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. board — to get on
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. board — a committee
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mine — for digging
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. present — the time now
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. leaves — to go away

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