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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. last — final
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. game — a match
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. saw — the tool
  13. last — finally
  14. game — wild animals
  15. current — happening now
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. current — of water
  20. last — to go on
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — a kind of play

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