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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rest — a break
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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