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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. board — a committee
  3. bound — tied together
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. root — of a word
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — to get on
  16. bound — certain
  17. fine — all right
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. root — the cause
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mine — an explosive

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