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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. foot — a measure
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. board — a committee
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bark — to shout
  21. board — to get on
  22. lean — thin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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