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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · net · board · stick · lean · cue · wake · bear

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. net — after costs
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — thin
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — a trail
  18. net — for catching
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cue — a signal
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — the animal

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