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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ground — a position
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cell — in biology
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bass — low music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wake — a trail
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in a prison

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