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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. game — a match
  8. rush — hurry
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — to get on
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chest — a box
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — a committee
  16. game — wild animals
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. toast — bread
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. board — a flat piece

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