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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. march — music
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — high quality

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