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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hand — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — the tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. vault — a safe
  11. shower — rain
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — help
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. shower — to wash
  20. board — a committee
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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