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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · object · sharp · bay · arm · cold · bore · fall

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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 part of the sea
  2. cold — an illness
  3. fall — the season
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. sharp — clever
  23. object — an aim
  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