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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. march — music
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — help
  15. kick — in football
  16. rush — hurry
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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