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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. face — to point toward
  3. can — a tin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bound — obliged
  9. can — to be able to
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — tied together
  14. face — to confront
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bound — certain
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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