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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — to get on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chest — a box
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. present — a gift
  12. chest — of your body
  13. present — there
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rule — government
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. charge — a price
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — boats
  20. present — the time now
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. board — a committee
  24. wake — a trail

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