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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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. stand — to bear
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. toast — bread
  6. game — wild animals
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. saw — the tool
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fall — to drop
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fall — the season
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. snap — to click
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. squash — to crush
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. game — a match
  24. saw — the tool

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