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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — to get on
  6. season — in sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. sharp — clever
  13. board — a committee
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. saw — the tool
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. row — a line
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. saw — the tool

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