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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cold — an illness
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. current — happening now
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. stock — goods
  18. current — electric
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. current — of water
  23. mark — a grade
  24. date — the fruit

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