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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wake — a trail
  6. object — to protest
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. object — a thing
  10. lean — thin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. season — in sport
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. object — an aim

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