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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. kid — to tease
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kid — child
  5. cap — of ice
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cap — a lid
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fall — the season
  12. board — to get on
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fine — all right
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. board — a committee
  24. fall — to drop

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