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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wind — moving air
  14. toast — bread
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cue — a signal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cue — for pool
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cue — a hint
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  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