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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fine — all right
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. board — a committee
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fine — high quality
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. board — to get on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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