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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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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. track — a song
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. track — a path
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — high quality
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a committee
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. staff — employees
  22. fine — all right
  23. board — to get on
  24. plane — in geometry

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