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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rash — hasty
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kick — in football
  23. object — to protest
  24. land — a country

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