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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chest — a box
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pass — a permit
  9. board — a committee
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lean — to bend
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. saw — the tool

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