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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spell — letters
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — magic
  12. mug — a face
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tube — a container
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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