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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. net — after costs
  3. shower — rain
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. shower — to wash
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fall — the season
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fall — to drop
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — the sport
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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