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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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. face — to confront
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. net — after costs
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cap — a lid
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — for catching
  20. cap — of ice
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. net — in sport

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