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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stock — shares
  11. race — humankind
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wound — an injury
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — a contest
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stock — goods
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bay — a horse colour

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