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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: mark · fall · saw · game · board · season · bay · trunk

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. game — a match
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — the season
  5. mark — a grade
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. board — to get on
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mark — a trace
  16. season — of the year
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. season — in sport
  19. game — wild animals
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. board — a committee
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. game — a kind of play

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