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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — after costs
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. net — for catching
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bat — the animal

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