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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — a path
  4. present — the time now
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. board — to get on
  9. present — there
  10. rock — a stone
  11. board — a committee
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — in cards
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — a gift
  19. track — a song
  20. spell — magic
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spell — letters
  24. hand — part of the body

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