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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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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