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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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. dip — a sauce
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. face — to confront
  5. file — a tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. season — in sport
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. shower — rain
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. file — a document
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. season — of the year
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. shower — to wash

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