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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chest — of your body
  3. firm — steady
  4. shower — rain
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. board — a committee
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. firm — a company
  9. chest — a box
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — boats
  15. plane — a tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. firm — decided
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. board — to get on
  20. snap — to click
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. craft — a skill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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