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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. kick — in football
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — to wash
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. shower — rain

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