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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stock — goods
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stock — shares
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — to play on
  8. kick — in football
  9. lean — thin
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. swing — music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill

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