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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mark — a trace
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hide — to keep secret

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