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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. land — ground
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — thin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — of the year
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — help
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hand — in cards
  24. season — in sport

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