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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 124 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rule — government
  5. board — to get on
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mark — a trace
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a committee
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. temple — a place of worship

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