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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bear — the animal
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mine — for digging
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cap — a hat
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. board — to get on
  24. rash — on the skin

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