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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. roll — a cake
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — a committee
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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