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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bass — the fish
  5. content — happy
  6. file — a document
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bass — low music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. file — a tool
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. content — the amount
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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