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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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Word bank
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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: rush · wound · sharp · bay · hide · fall · ground · dip

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wound — an injury
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fall — to drop
  24. dip — to dunk

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