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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. shower — rain
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. clip — a video
  21. shower — to wash
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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