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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — hurry
  5. row — to paddle
  6. net — for catching
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — a line
  9. board — a committee
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cell — a phone
  12. spring — of water
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. spring — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cell — in biology

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