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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. board — to get on
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. spring — the season
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. charge — in control
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. spring — of water
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spring — a coil
  19. field — farmland
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — a subject
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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