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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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. bat — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ground — crushed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. current — electric
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. ground — a position
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. current — happening now
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — for baseball

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