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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fork — in a road
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — rain

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