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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 120 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: ruler · board · last · present · chest · kid · foot · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. present — there
  3. last — to go on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. last — final
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. board — a committee
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. present — the time now
  14. board — to get on
  15. present — a gift
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chest — a box
  18. kid — child
  19. last — finally
  20. chest — of your body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ruler — a monarch

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