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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stock — goods
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stock — shares
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ground — a position
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — a permit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — a place of worship

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