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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. saw — the tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. row — to paddle
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. row — a line
  11. mark — a grade
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. press — to push
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mark — a trace

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