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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: board · bay · sharp · arm · object · fall · bear · stick

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fall — to drop
  8. object — a thing
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. board — a committee
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fall — to drop
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — to get on
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — an aim

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