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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. craft — a skill
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. roll — a list
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — happy
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. craft — boats
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. field — for sport
  24. content — the amount

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