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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. board — a committee
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. charge — a price
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. charge — electricity
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. board — to get on
  16. lie — to recline
  17. charge — in control
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chest — a box
  24. lie — an untruth

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