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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mug — a face
  5. march — music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. net — in sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. net — for catching
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — thin
  19. mug — to rob
  20. net — after costs
  21. date — the fruit
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — to bend
  24. squash — the sport

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