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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rash — a series
  3. board — a committee
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. root — of a plant
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — help
  17. root — of a word
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hand — in cards
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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