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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — a committee
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. foot — a measure
  16. charge — in control
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — a trail
  19. charge — a price
  20. stem — to come from
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. craft — a skill

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