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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — to sink
  11. snap — to click
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stock — shares
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stock — goods
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. mark — a grade

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