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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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 — a committee
  3. drill — the tool
  4. shower — to wash
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. shower — rain
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. board — to get on
  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