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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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lean — thin
  6. rest — a break
  7. board — a committee
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rush — a thrill
  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