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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. object — an aim
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. current — happening now
  6. object — a thing
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wake — a trail
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. object — to protest
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. current — of water
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — to confront
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — electric
  24. saw — the tool

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