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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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. mouse — for a computer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. craft — boats
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. net — in sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. net — after costs
  13. drill — a practice
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. craft — a skill
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. net — for catching
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. arm — part of the body

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