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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — a path
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. board — to get on
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. face — to confront
  18. fine — high quality
  19. dip — to sink
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. board — a committee
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bear — the animal

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