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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 116 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — a series
  8. land — to come down
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. land — a country
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rush — hurry
  19. row — a line
  20. spring — of water
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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