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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fall — the season
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. foot — a measure
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kick — in football
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kick — with a leg

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