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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. land — a country
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. land — to come down
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. saw — the tool
  15. march — music
  16. land — ground
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mouse — the animal

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