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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rock — a stone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — a list
  5. rock — music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. date — the fruit
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. sharp — clever
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fork — in a road
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. roll — a cake
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. arm — a part of something

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