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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. board — a committee
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. track — a song
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a trace
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — to come from
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bear — the animal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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