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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. board — a committee
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. firm — a company
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ground — a position
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. cap — a lid
  12. track — a song
  13. board — to get on
  14. track — a path
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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