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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. content — happy
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — the amount
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. mug — a face
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rush — hurry
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mug — a cup
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fan — to cool the air

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