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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chest — a box
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chest — of your body
  6. board — a committee
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. craft — boats
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. perch — the fish
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. perch — for a bird

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