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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stock — goods
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. plane — a tool
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. board — a committee
  16. bat — the animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. board — to get on
  20. cell — a phone
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stock — shares
  24. snap — to click

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