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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. craft — boats
  3. firm — steady
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. clip — to cut
  8. firm — a company
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. craft — a skill
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mug — a cup
  19. firm — decided
  20. mate — a friend
  21. clip — for paper
  22. board — to get on
  23. mate — to breed
  24. saw — the tool

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