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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. hand — help
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — a trail
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. land — to come down
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. spell — letters
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. land — a country
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spell — magic
  19. land — ground
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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