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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. mug — to rob
  3. present — there
  4. mug — a face
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mug — a cup
  8. present — a gift
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. content — the amount
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. content — happy
  18. file — a tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. file — a document
  23. content — videos and posts
  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