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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. season — of the year
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a document
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. season — in sport
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. game — a match
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stand — on your feet

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