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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. net — after costs
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. net — for catching
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. net — in sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. suit — clothes

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