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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rash — hasty
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rash — a series
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. board — a committee
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. board — to get on
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. present — the time now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. present — there
  24. mouse — the animal

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