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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spell — letters
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. row — to paddle
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spell — a short time
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mug — a face
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mug — a cup
  19. scale — in music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — magic
  22. wound — an injury
  23. row — a line
  24. mug — to rob

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