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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rule — a law
  4. ball — a dance
  5. file — a line of people
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lean — thin
  9. rule — government
  10. file — a document
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a tool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ball — a great time
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — a jug

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