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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cold — not warm
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. content — the amount
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cue — a hint
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. race — the arms race

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