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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: board · stick · present · clip · staff · bay · chest · rock

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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. board — a committee
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chest — a box
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rock — a stone
  10. clip — a video
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — the time now
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — to cut
  19. staff — employees
  20. chest — of your body
  21. clip — for paper
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — employees
  24. rock — music

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