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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. field — for sport
  5. spring — the season
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — to protest
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. object — an aim
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spring — of water
  14. object — a thing
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. field — a subject
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. field — farmland
  22. mug — a face
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mug — to rob

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