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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. row — to paddle
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. board — a committee
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. date — the fruit
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — of the year
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — in sport
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. saw — the tool
  21. row — a line
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rest — what's left

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