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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. club — for golf
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. club — a group
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. present — a gift
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — ministers

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