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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — a law
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. board — to get on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rule — government
  9. object — an aim
  10. hand — help
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a committee
  13. foot — a measure
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. object — to protest
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hand — in cards
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — an injury

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