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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 116 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. season — of the year
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. tube — a container
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. spell — letters
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. craft — boats
  23. spell — magic
  24. season — to add flavour

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