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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. board — a committee
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. swing — in golf
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ball — a great time
  16. kid — child
  17. ball — a dance
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kid — to tease
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mine — for digging

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