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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.

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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spell — magic
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. spell — letters
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spell — a short time
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a line
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. can — to be able to

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