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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. track — a path
  10. fork — in a road
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — a list
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. roll — on a roll

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