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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lean — thin
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mug — a face
  8. swing — in golf
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. swing — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mark — a trace
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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