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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. file — a tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. firm — steady
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. file — a line of people
  10. firm — a company
  11. mate — a partner
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a document
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lean — thin
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mate — a friend

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