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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — a country
  13. board — a committee
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. snap — to click
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. land — to come down
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. land — ground

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