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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pass — a permit
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury

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