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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. board — to get on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. saw — the tool
  12. clip — a video
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mark — a grade
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. saw — the tool
  21. clip — for paper
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — a committee

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