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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. march — the month
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bear — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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