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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. firm — decided
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — a committee
  24. march — the month

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