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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cold — an illness
  3. net — for catching
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. firm — decided
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. track — a path
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cold — not warm
  18. net — after costs
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. track — a song
  21. firm — a company
  22. net — in sport
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cold — the Cold War

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