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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cold — not warm
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spring — of water
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cold — an illness
  18. charge — in control
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. track — a song
  22. charge — electricity
  23. track — a path
  24. charge — a price

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