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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hide — animal skin

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