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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: bay · chest · foot · board · date · pass · wound · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. last — final
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chest — of your body
  12. board — a committee
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chest — a box
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chest — of your body

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