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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. clip — for paper
  6. saw — the tool
  7. clip — to cut
  8. dip — to sink
  9. clip — a video
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — in cards
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — a committee

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