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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — to get on
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. present — there
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. present — the time now
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rush — hurry
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. board — a committee
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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