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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. lean — thin
  2. face — to confront
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. board — to get on
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kid — child
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lean — to bend
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mate — a friend
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kid — to tease
  23. board — a committee
  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