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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lean — thin
  3. object — an aim
  4. board — a committee
  5. last — to go on
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. staff — a stick
  8. board — to get on
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. craft — boats
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lean — to bend
  17. object — a thing
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — to protest
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bowl — a dish

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