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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chest — a box
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. club — for golf
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kick — in football
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. board — to get on
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — a hint
  23. board — a committee
  24. cue — a signal

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