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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. press — to push
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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