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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. last — finally
  13. snap — to click
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. board — to get on
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitch — completely
  21. object — to protest
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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