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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. march — music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pit — a hole
  8. board — to get on
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — thin
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. face — to confront
  21. hand — in cards
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hand — help
  24. coach — a trainer

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