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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. board — a committee
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chest — a box
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mark — a trace
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. row — a line

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