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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — a division
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. roll — a list
  15. game — wild animals
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. sharp — clever
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lash — to lash out

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