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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · game · spring · bay · wake · deal · craft · rock

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. craft — boats
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. game — a match
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. spring — the season
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. game — wild animals
  21. spring — of water
  22. deal — to handle
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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