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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. court — of law
  6. band — a ring
  7. stem — to come from
  8. board — a committee
  9. court — for sport
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. band — a music group
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. court — of a king
  20. wind — moving air
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stem — a stem cell

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