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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fine — high quality
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fine — all right
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. club — for dancing
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. club — a group
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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