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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cold — an illness
  4. board — to get on
  5. drill — a practice
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. drill — army training
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stand — to bear
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cold — not warm
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mark — to pay attention

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