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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wound — an injury
  4. row — a line
  5. board — to get on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wound — an injury
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bound — certain
  21. cue — for pool
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cue — a signal

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