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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a committee
  4. mine — for digging
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. present — a gift
  10. chest — of your body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chest — a box
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — to get on
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. present — there
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. present — the time now

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