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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. net — after costs
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. net — for catching
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hand — help
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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