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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — a gift
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. present — the time now
  11. rest — a break
  12. file — a line of people
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. file — a document
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rest — what's left
  19. present — there
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. file — a tool
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bay — a horse colour

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