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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. can — a tin
  5. snap — to click
  6. last — to go on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. board — a committee
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. board — to get on
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. last — finally
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. last — final
  19. bore — to drill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. kick — in football

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