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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.

Make a worksheet

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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. scale — in music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rest — a break
  19. rush — hurry
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. board — a committee
  22. wound — an injury
  23. scale — size or range
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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