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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — a committee
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. root — the cause
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. staff — employees
  19. root — of a word
  20. board — to get on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. staff — employees

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