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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. ground — a position
  4. board — to get on
  5. ball — a great time
  6. game — a match
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lie — to recline
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. board — a committee
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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