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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. face — part of the head
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — in music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. face — to confront
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — a list
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stand — to bear
  24. can — a tin

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