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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. staff — employees
  7. mate — a partner
  8. object — an aim
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. board — a committee
  12. cold — an illness
  13. object — a thing
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. board — to get on
  16. object — to protest
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cold — not warm
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mate — a friend

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