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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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. board — to get on
  3. staff — a stick
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. board — a committee
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. calf — a young animal
  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