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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. board — a committee
  5. rule — a law
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. court — of a king
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. court — for sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lean — thin
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fork — in a road
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kid — child

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