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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. last — finally
  3. kid — child
  4. board — a committee
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bass — low music
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. board — to get on
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. last — to go on
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fall — the season
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — final
  23. bass — the instrument
  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