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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — a trail
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. board — a committee
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. coach — a trainer

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