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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — to sink
  4. board — to get on
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. land — ground
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. swing — in golf
  13. scale — in music
  14. land — a country
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — a committee
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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