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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — an amount
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bore — to tire
  12. degree — temperature
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fall — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. degree — from a university
  22. board — a committee
  23. bore — to drill
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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