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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mark — a grade
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spring — a coil
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pass — a permit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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