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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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 part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mark — a grade
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spell — a short time
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — a stick
  12. club — for golf
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mark — a trace
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. spell — magic
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. club — a group
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — to point toward
  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