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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wind — moving air
  4. track — a path
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rush — hurry
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — a song
  11. snap — to click
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — to keep track
  24. craft — boats

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