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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mark — a grade
  4. clip — for paper
  5. board — to get on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — a committee
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chair — a leader
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rest — what's left
  21. clip — a video
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bank — of a river

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