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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ground — crushed
  11. band — a ring
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — a position
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mark — a trace
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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