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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. shower — rain
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. current — of water
  9. court — for sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. file — a document
  12. shower — to wash
  13. file — a tool
  14. current — electric
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. squash — to crush
  22. current — happening now
  23. pass — a permit
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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