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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. last — to go on
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. firm — decided
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. firm — steady
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bound — obliged
  14. firm — a company
  15. bound — certain
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spring — the season
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. net — in sport
  20. bound — tied together
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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