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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. row — a line
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — in sport
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. dip — to sink
  12. row — to paddle
  13. net — after costs
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bat — the animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. row — a quarrel

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