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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rock — a stone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. board — a committee
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rest — a break
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rock — to move gently

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