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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 120 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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a grade
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — a permit
  24. row — a line

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