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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rule — a law
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — government
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. board — a committee
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. row — a line
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. board — to get on
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. stem — of a plant

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