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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mug — to rob
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mug — a cup
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. craft — boats
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mug — a face
  11. board — a committee
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. board — to get on
  24. mine — belonging to me

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