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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. current — of water
  5. last — final
  6. wake — a trail
  7. last — to go on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. current — electric
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. current — happening now
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. last — finally
  22. date — the fruit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. date — on the calendar

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