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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hand — help
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. club — a group
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — a tin
  21. club — for golf
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bowl — a football final

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