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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. roll — a cake
  7. board — a committee
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. row — a line
  15. roll — a list
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — thin
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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