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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. board — a committee
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — a coil
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mate — a partner
  16. board — to get on
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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