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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. last — final
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. last — to go on
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — boats
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fall — the season
  24. board — a committee

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