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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mark — a grade
  8. file — a document
  9. present — the time now
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mark — a trace
  12. file — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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