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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 124 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: chair · kick · bay · board · mug · kid · leaves · shower

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kid — child
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mug — to rob
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. shower — rain
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. board — to get on
  15. kid — to tease
  16. board — a committee
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mug — a face
  20. shower — to wash
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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