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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bass — the fish
  10. plane — a tool
  11. race — humankind
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. race — a contest
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fine — all right
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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