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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — thin
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hand — help
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rule — government

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