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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — rain
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. object — a thing
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chest — of your body
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — an aim
  11. mug — a face
  12. object — to protest
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mug — a cup
  17. board — a committee
  18. cold — not warm
  19. chest — a box
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cold — an illness
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. board — to get on

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