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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — a break
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. key — the most important part
  11. root — of a word
  12. hand — help
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rest — what's left
  16. root — the cause
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. season — in sport
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. root — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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