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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. hand — in cards
  11. club — for golf
  12. hand — help
  13. club — a group
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. game — a match
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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