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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cold — not warm
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stock — shares
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cold — an illness
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mate — a friend
  19. suit — clothes
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — goods
  24. saw — the tool

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