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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. firm — decided
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — steady
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — a company
  14. drill — a practice
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. roll — a cake
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. roll — a list
  21. board — to get on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chest — a box
  24. roll — on a roll

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