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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. swing — to play on
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. staff — employees
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — to eat
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kid — to tease
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. swing — music
  19. kid — child
  20. chip — for betting
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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