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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hand — help
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. board — to get on
  12. spring — a coil
  13. date — the fruit
  14. board — a committee
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spring — of water
  17. game — a match
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spring — the season
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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