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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ground — the earth
  5. drill — army training
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. object — a thing
  8. rash — hasty
  9. object — an aim
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ground — a position
  16. object — to protest
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rash — a series
  24. mouse — for a computer

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