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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cap — of ice
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. craft — boats
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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