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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. row — a line
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rock — music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. degree — temperature
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — from a university
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rash — a series
  22. row — to paddle
  23. board — a committee
  24. stem — a stem cell

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