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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. row — to paddle
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. swing — music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chip — for betting
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — to eat
  20. row — a line
  21. object — to protest
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. swing — to play on

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