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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. suit — to fit
  3. hand — help
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rest — a break
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. row — a line
  14. field — farmland
  15. board — to get on
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. field — for sport
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stem — to come from
  20. suit — in cards
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rest — what's left
  23. field — a subject
  24. row — to paddle

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