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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. file — a tool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chip — for betting
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chip — to eat
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a document
  16. board — a committee
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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