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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. board — a committee
  4. tear — from crying
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — to get on

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