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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. shower — rain
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ball — a dance
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — bread
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — of a word
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — the cause
  24. pound — a weight

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