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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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 — to shout
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. land — a country
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — a position
  9. land — ground
  10. present — there
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — to come down
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — in sport
  18. ground — crushed
  19. present — the time now
  20. season — of the year
  21. present — a gift
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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