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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — to paddle
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kick — in football
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — help
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wake — a trail
  24. racket — for tennis

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