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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. shower — rain
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rock — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. snap — to click
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — a stone

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