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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — to get on
  3. root — of a word
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cap — a lid
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tear — from crying
  14. root — the cause
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. club — for golf
  22. cap — a hat
  23. club — a group
  24. root — of a plant

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