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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. drill — army training
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. key — the most important part
  18. drill — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. date — the fruit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — a practice
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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