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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fine — all right
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — high quality
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mate — a friend
  24. deal — to handle

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