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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lean — thin
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lean — to bend
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fall — the season
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. dip — a sauce

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