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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. clip — for paper
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — electricity
  9. band — a ring
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. clip — to cut
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — a video
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. charge — in control
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. charge — a price

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