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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. capital — money
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. face — to point toward
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. face — to confront
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. tube — a container
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mark — a grade
  24. capital — a city

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