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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cap — of ice
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. degree — an amount
  24. board — to get on

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