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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — clever
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. squash — the sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. scale — in music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lie — to recline
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wake — a trail
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lie — an untruth

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