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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mug — a cup
  8. drill — army training
  9. mug — a face
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — for pool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. drill — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — a practice
  23. staff — employees
  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