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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.

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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. lean — thin
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cold — not warm
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rule — a law
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lean — to bend

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