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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. last — final
  6. mine — for digging
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — all right
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. last — finally
  12. fall — the season
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. last — to go on

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