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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stand — to bear
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. land — a country
  20. plane — a tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lash — to lash out

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