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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — in a race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. board — to get on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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