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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. face — to point toward
  5. last — to go on
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. last — final
  8. squash — to crush
  9. last — finally
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. face — to confront
  12. mate — a friend
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. squash — the sport

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