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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. dip — to sink
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cell — in biology
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cell — in a prison
  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