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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mate — to breed
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mate — a friend
  6. staff — employees
  7. ground — a position
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. band — a music group
  11. ground — crushed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. shower — to wash
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — rain
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a ring
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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