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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — to get on
  3. content — the amount
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. board — a committee
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — a country
  13. rest — a break
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cell — in biology
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — music
  22. content — happy
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cell — in a prison

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