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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spell — magic
  3. mate — to breed
  4. season — of the year
  5. pop — soda
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — letters
  8. pop — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pop — to visit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pit — a hole
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. season — in sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pit — in a race

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