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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — the vegetable

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