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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. current — happening now
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. perch — the fish
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — of water
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pit — a hole
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — electric
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cell — a phone

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