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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stand — to bear
  4. current — happening now
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a city
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bat — the animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. current — electric
  21. hand — help
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. current — of water

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