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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cap — a hat
  3. drill — army training
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. swing — music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wake — a trail
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. board — to get on
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — the tool
  18. content — happy
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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