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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. board — to get on
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rash — a series
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — to paddle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — a line
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pass — to succeed
  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