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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mug — a face
  3. rest — a break
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. staff — employees
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mug — a cup
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — a series
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rash — hasty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mug — to rob
  24. board — to get on

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