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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mine — for digging
  10. present — the time now
  11. land — ground
  12. roll — a cake
  13. present — there
  14. land — to come down
  15. rush — hurry
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. key — in music
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — a country
  21. present — a gift
  22. key — the most important part
  23. roll — a list
  24. rush — a thrill

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