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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. shower — to wash
  5. staff — employees
  6. mate — a friend
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. shower — rain

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