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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. board — a committee
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wound — an injury
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. swing — in golf

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