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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — the cause
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. track — to keep track
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. track — a path
  21. wound — an injury
  22. track — a song
  23. wound — an injury
  24. leaves — lets stay

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