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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mate — a partner
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mine — for digging
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rest — a break
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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