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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stock — shares
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — a face
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stock — goods
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — the fruit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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