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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 water is too ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. last — to go on
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. net — in sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. last — finally
  11. net — for catching
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. last — final
  16. mug — a face
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. net — after costs
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mug — to rob

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