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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. craft — boats
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — a gift
  5. mug — a cup
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mug — to rob
  8. craft — a skill
  9. present — there
  10. mug — a face
  11. mark — a grade
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. present — the time now
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mark — a trace
  17. kid — child
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. press — a publisher
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — to push
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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