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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. board — a committee
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wind — moving air
  11. board — to get on
  12. rest — a break
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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