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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. row — a line
  12. clip — to cut
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — clothes
  15. board — a committee
  16. pound — a weight
  17. clip — a video
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — to paddle
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. row — a quarrel

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