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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rash — a series
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. board — a committee
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lean — thin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. game — a match
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — a thing
  18. toast — bread
  19. object — to protest
  20. prune — to trim
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rash — on the skin

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