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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. tear — from crying
  5. firm — a company
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. firm — steady
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. swing — to play on
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. tear — from crying
  23. swing — music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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