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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fall — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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