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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. shower — rain
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. current — happening now
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mug — to rob
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. current — of water
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mug — a face
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. spring — the season
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. current — electric
  19. spring — of water
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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