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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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. wave — of the sea
  3. board — a committee
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. net — after costs
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. craft — boats
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rock — music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rest — a break
  16. net — for catching
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. net — in sport

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