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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. board — to get on
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. craft — a skill
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. race — a contest
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cold — an illness
  15. race — humankind
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. board — a committee
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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