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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. board — a committee
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cold — not warm
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. board — to get on
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. charge — in control
  24. board — a flat piece

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