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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lean — thin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stock — shares
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. root — the cause
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lean — to bend
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. cell — in biology
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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