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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. net — after costs
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. net — in sport
  7. spell — letters
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spell — magic
  15. rule — a law
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — for catching
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — part of the body

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