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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — help
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — all right
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — to get on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. kick — in football
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. coach — a trainer

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