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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — a trail
  6. game — a match
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. last — final
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — to lash out

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