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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wake — a trail
  3. toast — bread
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. swing — music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. file — a document
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pass — a permit
  19. swing — in golf
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bark — to shout
  24. swing — to play on

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