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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. land — a country
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. firm — steady
  5. shower — to wash
  6. land — ground
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. track — a song
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. date — the fruit
  14. track — a path
  15. land — to come down
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — to keep track
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. shower — rain
  23. face — to confront
  24. bay — a horse colour

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