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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. spring — of water
  4. wake — a trail
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spring — the season
  13. bark — to shout
  14. firm — a company
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. firm — decided
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. firm — steady

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