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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cold — an illness
  9. firm — decided
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. firm — steady
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cold — not warm
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — high quality
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. firm — a company
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bat — the animal

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