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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · chair · season · mug · bay · arm · land · saw

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. season — of the year
  5. mug — a cup
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — to come down
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — a country
  11. season — in sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mug — a face
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. land — ground
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. arm — a part of something

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