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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. row — a line
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. can — a tin
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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