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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. court — of a king
  3. craft — boats
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spell — magic
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — army training
  11. tear — to rip
  12. spell — letters
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — a break
  15. spell — a short time
  16. drill — a practice
  17. court — of law
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rest — what's left
  20. drill — the tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rest — what's left

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