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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lie — to recline
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wake — before a funeral

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