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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — to paddle
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — a gift
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — to get on
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — there
  15. dip — to sink
  16. present — the time now
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. board — a committee

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