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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. firm — a company
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. firm — decided
  7. last — to go on
  8. season — in sport
  9. chest — of your body
  10. last — finally
  11. pop — music
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. fall — the season
  16. season — of the year
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. last — final
  22. wake — a trail
  23. firm — steady
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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