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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fine — all right
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. leaves — of a tree

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