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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mate — a friend
  5. object — a thing
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fine — all right
  23. object — an aim
  24. mine — an explosive

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