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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. court — of law
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. band — a music group
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. court — for sport
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. court — of a king
  21. band — a ring
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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