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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. staff — employees
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. kid — child
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — letters
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. staff — employees
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mug — a face
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — a cup

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