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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. present — the time now
  7. tear — to rip
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — a gift
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a dance
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. tear — from crying
  21. present — there
  22. ball — a great time
  23. tear — from crying
  24. leaves — lets stay

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