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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cell — a phone
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mate — a friend
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spell — magic
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spell — letters
  14. board — to get on
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. plane — a tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. board — a flat piece

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