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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. board — a committee
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mug — a face
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. board — to get on
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — size or range

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