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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. firm — a company
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pit — in a race
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rock — a stone
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — a hole
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. firm — steady
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rock — music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. firm — decided
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. shower — to wash

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