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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. spell — magic
  3. season — in sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — of the year
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — letters
  15. firm — steady
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. shower — to wash
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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