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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. last — finally
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tube — a container
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. toast — bread
  15. last — to go on
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. last — final
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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