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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. hand — help
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — a company
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. firm — steady
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pound — a weight
  14. firm — decided
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — to hit hard

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