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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. march — the month
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cap — a hat
  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