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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. race — a contest
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. roll — a cake
  24. jam — in traffic

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