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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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. firm — steady
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. last — final
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. firm — a company
  12. ground — a position
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pop — music
  18. last — finally
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. firm — decided
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. last — to go on
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ground — crushed

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