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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. lean — thin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lean — to bend
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — hurry
  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