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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. file — a tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. charge — in control
  7. row — a line
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. clip — for paper
  11. board — a committee
  12. clip — to cut
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. saw — the tool
  17. clip — a video
  18. mark — a grade
  19. file — a document
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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