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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. drill — a practice
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. drill — army training
  10. rash — hasty
  11. board — to get on
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. drill — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hand — help
  17. board — a committee
  18. rash — a series

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