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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rush — hurry
  12. hand — help
  13. mug — a face
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — to rob
  18. march — music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wake — a trail
  24. march — the month

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