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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wind — moving air
  3. march — music
  4. rock — music
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. board — to get on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. march — the month
  13. rock — a stone
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — hurry
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. board — a committee
  24. leaves — to go away

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