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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rock — music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. row — a line

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