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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. perch — the fish
  8. spell — letters
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — in cards
  12. root — of a word
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. root — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. root — the cause
  23. board — a committee
  24. spell — a short time

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