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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — magic
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — a container
  24. leaves — lets stay

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