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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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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. can — a tin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wind — moving air
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cold — not warm
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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