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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — a committee
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. content — happy
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. content — the amount
  23. wake — a trail
  24. trunk — of a car

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