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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — to get on
  7. club — a group
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. club — for golf
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. board — a committee

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