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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. craft — boats
  8. firm — steady
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mate — a partner
  18. march — the month
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. march — music
  24. wake — a trail

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