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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. track — a path
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. spell — magic
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rush — hurry

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