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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hand — in cards
  3. saw — the tool
  4. capital — money
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. last — final
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. roll — a list
  9. last — finally
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. roll — a cake
  14. capital — a city
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. last — to go on
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hand — help

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