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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mark — a grade
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — a trace
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chest — a box
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pound — a weight

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