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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. row — a line
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. firm — steady
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. patient — a sick person

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