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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tube — the underground
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — a law
  6. board — a committee
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. spring — of water
  9. rule — government
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tube — a container
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. toast — bread
  20. spring — the season
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spring — a coil
  24. deal — an agreement

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