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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. present — a gift
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — a series
  21. present — the time now
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fan — to cool the air

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