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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. content — the amount
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. craft — boats
  7. fine — all right
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. content — happy
  12. cap — a lid
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cap — a hat
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spell — letters
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fine — high quality
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. craft — a skill

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