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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. bound — tied together
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bound — certain
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fine — all right
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. straw — dry grass

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