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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. file — a tool
  3. board — to get on
  4. land — ground
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a line of people
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a committee
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. craft — boats
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. file — a document
  15. rash — a series
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. land — a country
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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