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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cold — an illness
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cold — not warm
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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