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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rash — hasty
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — the tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. track — a song
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. track — to keep track
  21. drill — army training
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a committee
  24. drill — a practice

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