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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — in a computer

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