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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. present — a gift
  3. march — the month
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. board — a committee
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. march — music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. roll — a list
  19. staff — employees
  20. present — there
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. march — the month
  23. present — the time now
  24. cabinet — ministers

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