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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — rain
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pop — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. foot — a measure

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