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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wake — a trail
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — a country
  11. can — a tin
  12. foot — a measure
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. hand — help
  16. shower — rain
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. row — a line
  19. shower — to wash
  20. land — ground
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wake — before a funeral

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