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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. file — a line of people
  4. club — for golf
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. club — a group
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a document
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wound — an injury
  21. club — for dancing
  22. file — a tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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