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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kid — to tease
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kid — child
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. face — to point toward
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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