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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. object — a thing
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wind — moving air
  8. capital — a city
  9. object — to protest
  10. capital — money
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rest — a break
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. object — an aim
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mine — for digging
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — an aircraft

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