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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: chest · fan · saw · rock · board · bay · mug · bear

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. board — to get on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — a committee

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