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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spell — magic
  3. board — a committee
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bulb — for light

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