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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. present — a gift
  5. staff — employees
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bass — low music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — the season
  12. present — the time now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cue — a signal
  21. present — there
  22. staff — employees
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cue — for pool

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