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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hand — help
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. trunk — of a car

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