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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. board — to get on
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — a committee
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — of a word
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. season — of the year
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — the cause
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. tube — a container

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