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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. firm — a company
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. firm — decided
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. season — of the year
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ball — a dance
  19. firm — steady
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. shower — rain
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. season — to add flavour

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