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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — ground
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. last — final
  6. land — to come down
  7. mug — a face
  8. dip — to sink
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. prune — to trim
  12. board — a committee
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. last — finally
  15. mug — a cup
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. land — a country
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — a flat piece

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