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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hand — help
  3. rash — a series
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spring — of water
  20. pit — a hole
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spring — the season
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bear — the animal

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