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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — a country
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. land — ground
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bark — to shout
  9. land — to come down
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bay — a horse colour

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