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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. key — the most important part
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. can — to be able to
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — in music
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — on the calendar

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