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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. snap — to click
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a document
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rock — music
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. file — a tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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