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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. board — to get on
  3. staff — employees
  4. last — final
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cell — in biology
  7. present — the time now
  8. board — a committee
  9. last — to go on
  10. degree — an amount
  11. last — finally
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. present — there
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. present — a gift
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cell — a phone
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — a face

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