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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. snap — to click
  5. present — the time now
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fall — to drop
  9. present — there
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fall — the season
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — a committee
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — in a prison

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