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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mug — a cup
  3. last — finally
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lean — thin
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mug — to rob
  13. last — to go on
  14. mug — a face
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. last — final
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rock — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mark — a grade
  24. safe — a strongbox

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