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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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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rash — a series
  14. kid — to tease
  15. season — in sport
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. season — of the year
  18. kid — child

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