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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. current — of water
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. current — electric
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cell — a phone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bass — low music
  24. stand — on your feet

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