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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cap — a lid
  7. sharp — clever
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. court — of law
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cap — a hat
  13. content — happy
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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