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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bore — to drill
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. row — a line
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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