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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. spring — a coil
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spring — of water
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spring — the season
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

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