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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. game — a match
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mark — a trace
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rash — a series
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bay — a horse colour

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