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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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 — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cold — not warm
  6. race — humankind
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. race — a contest
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — on your feet

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