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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 116 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. current — happening now
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. last — to go on
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. last — final
  10. band — a ring
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. last — finally
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — of water
  21. band — a music group
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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