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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. shower — rain
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rule — government
  24. saw — the tool

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