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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fine — all right
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. clip — a video
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rush — hurry
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fine — a penalty

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