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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. spell — a short time
  9. march — the month
  10. row — to paddle
  11. spell — magic
  12. march — music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. dip — to sink
  17. row — a line
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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