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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — a country
  12. bass — low music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bass — the fish
  16. land — to come down
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. land — ground

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