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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fine — all right
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. track — a song
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. track — a path
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chest — a box
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rash — a series
  18. rule — government
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rule — a law

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