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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. charge — a price
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. charge — in control
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. toast — bread
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. snap — to click
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — to get on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. charge — electricity
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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