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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. board — a committee
  3. spring — the season
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. object — a thing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. board — to get on
  10. object — to protest
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spring — of water
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — an aim
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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