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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. current — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. current — electric
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — happening now
  14. bark — to shout
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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