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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spring — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. deal — to handle
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spring — the season
  18. rest — a break
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — a penalty

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