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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · chip · row · hide · leaves · march · snap · board

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. march — music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. board — to get on
  12. chip — to eat
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. snap — to click
  16. march — the month
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mate — a partner
  23. row — a line
  24. mate — a friend

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