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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — steady
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — a container
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — decided
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. firm — a company
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. tube — the underground
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tube — in a tire

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