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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. squash — to crush
  6. row — a line
  7. hand — in cards
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. face — to confront
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hand — help
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cap — a lid
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cap — of ice
  24. game — wild animals

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