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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. spell — magic
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — ground
  10. board — a committee
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — to get on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — a country
  24. fan — a supporter

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