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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. board — to get on
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. board — a committee
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. season — of the year
  19. band — a music group
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. season — in sport
  23. scale — size or range
  24. band — a ring

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