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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 water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tube — a container
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. deal — to handle
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mark — to pay attention

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