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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. board — a committee
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. craft — boats
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rock — music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. band — a music group
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — to get on
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. band — a ring

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