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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. staff — a stick
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. wind — moving air
  17. staff — employees
  18. march — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — employees

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