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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. plane — a tool
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stand — to bear

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