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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. board — a committee
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — a gift
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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