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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. board — a committee
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. craft — a skill
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. craft — boats
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rule — government
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rule — a law
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. last — finally

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