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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — shares
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. cell — a phone
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. kick — in football
  21. cell — in biology
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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