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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rule — a law
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — government
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. board — a committee
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stand — to bear
  22. field — for sport
  23. plane — a tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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