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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ball — a great time
  4. land — a country
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. land — ground
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a dance
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. board — a committee
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. land — to come down
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — in geometry

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