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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ground — a position
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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