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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. fall — to drop
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — a trace
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mate — a partner
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fall — the season
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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