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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. roll — a list
  4. rock — music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fine — all right
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. roll — a cake
  10. fall — the season
  11. last — to go on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fine — high quality
  16. capital — money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. capital — a city
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. last — finally
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fall — to drop
  24. last — final

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