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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chest — a box
  7. firm — steady
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. firm — decided
  10. file — a document
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spring — of water
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — to get on
  15. file — a line of people
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spring — the season
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a committee
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — a company
  23. file — a tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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