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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. board — to get on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lean — thin
  9. rest — a break
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. toast — bread
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. board — a committee
  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