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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ground — a position
  8. pop — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pop — to visit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wave — with your hand
  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