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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. board — to get on
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. land — ground
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. land — a country
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. board — a committee
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. dip — to sink
  18. craft — boats
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chip — for betting

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