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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. foot — a measure
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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