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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mine — for digging
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. swing — music
  9. present — the time now
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a list
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spell — magic
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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