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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rule — a law
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. spell — magic
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — to get on
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rule — government

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