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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mark — a grade
  4. shower — rain
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. kick — in football
  12. shower — to wash
  13. spring — of water
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mug — a face
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spring — the season
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. deal — to handle

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