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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rush — hurry
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spring — of water
  10. firm — a company
  11. mark — a grade
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. drill — army training
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. firm — decided
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a trace
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — steady
  22. spring — a coil
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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