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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. saw — the tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cue — for pool
  16. hand — help
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. dip — to sink
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mark — a grade

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