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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. last — to go on
  7. mark — a trace
  8. last — finally
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wind — moving air
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. court — of law
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. court — of a king
  17. firm — a company
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. last — final
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. court — for sport

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