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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rock — music
  17. content — the amount
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — the season
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fall — to drop
  24. content — happy

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