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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lean — to bend
  4. clip — a video
  5. roll — a list
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lean — thin
  8. spring — the season
  9. board — a committee
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ball — a dance
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spring — of water
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ball — a great time
  23. plane — a tool
  24. roll — a cake

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