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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. track — a song
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. shower — rain
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. track — to keep track
  15. season — of the year
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. track — a path
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mate — a friend

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