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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. board — to get on
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. shower — rain
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. snap — to click

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