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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 water is too ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cold — an illness
  7. branch — a division
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. object — an aim
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — hasty
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — a thing
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — a series
  22. pit — a hole
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. object — to protest

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