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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stock — goods
  8. rest — a break
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. file — a tool
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. file — a document
  22. mug — a face
  23. stock — shares
  24. coach — a trainer

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