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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spell — magic
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. object — an aim
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. object — a thing
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mate — a partner
  10. last — finally
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spell — letters
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rash — a series
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. last — to go on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. last — final
  19. tube — a container
  20. spell — a short time
  21. object — to protest
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bowl — a football final

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