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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a trace
  20. prune — to trim
  21. shower — rain
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. tube — a container
  24. mark — a grade

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