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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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Word bank
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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. board — to get on
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — in football
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spell — magic
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spell — letters
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bass — low music
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ball — a great time

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