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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. board — to get on
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. track — a path
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — all right
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fine — high quality
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — a committee
  24. date — on the calendar

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