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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spring — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lean — to bend
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — thin
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. board — a committee
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. object — a thing
  21. spring — the season
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fork — a garden tool

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