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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — boats
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. object — to protest
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rash — a series
  11. bass — the fish
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — low music
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. object — a thing
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rush — hurry
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. tube — a container
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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