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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rest — a break
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. spring — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cold — an illness
  14. spring — of water
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — a series
  18. rock — music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rest — what's left
  24. saw — the tool

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