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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. board — a committee
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. drill — army training
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. drill — the tool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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