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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. track — a song
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — the month
  24. bay — a horse colour

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