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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 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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. squash — the sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wound — an injury
  9. squash — to crush
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stock — goods
  18. spring — of water
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stock — shares
  21. foot — a measure
  22. degree — from a university
  23. spring — the season
  24. squash — the vegetable

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