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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. file — a line of people
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mark — a grade
  12. season — in sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mark — a trace
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. staff — employees

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