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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. kick — in football
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. sharp — clever
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. date — on the calendar

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