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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The kitten curled into 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 horse colour
  3. last — finally
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. last — final
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rest — a break
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mug — a cup
  17. last — to go on
  18. mug — a face
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ball — a round shape

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