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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pop — music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lean — thin
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. craft — boats
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rash — a series
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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