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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — of a word
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. row — a line
  15. tear — from crying
  16. board — a committee
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. land — to come down
  19. game — a match
  20. land — ground
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. root — the cause
  23. game — wild animals
  24. land — a country

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