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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — decided
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. firm — steady
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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