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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — a skill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fine — high quality
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fine — all right
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mate — a friend
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. craft — boats
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — in music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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