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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. tube — the underground
  3. march — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rest — a break
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wind — moving air
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wind — moving air
  19. march — the month
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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