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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lean — thin
  5. row — to paddle
  6. race — the arms race
  7. row — a line
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. spring — the season
  11. season — in sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. squash — to crush
  16. race — humankind
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. race — a contest
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ball — a dance
  24. spring — a coil

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