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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lean — thin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. suit — to fit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cold — an illness
  24. jam — a tight spot

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