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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — in cards
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bound — tied together
  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