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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. craft — a skill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rest — a break
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. shower — rain
  9. board — to get on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — a committee
  24. rest — what's left

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