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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — an aim
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. march — music
  5. board — to get on
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. object — a thing
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. object — to protest
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. board — a committee

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