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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. game — a match
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. key — in music
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — in biology
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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