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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. key — in music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — music
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rush — hurry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ground — a position

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