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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bear — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. net — for catching
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. net — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. net — after costs
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. staff — employees
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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