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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. race — humankind
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. file — a document
  16. game — a match
  17. race — a contest
  18. game — a kind of play

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