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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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. last — final
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — to come down
  5. last — finally
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rest — a break
  9. season — of the year
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rest — what's left
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. last — to go on
  17. date — the fruit
  18. season — in sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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