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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. kid — child
  4. shower — to wash
  5. content — the amount
  6. charge — in control
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. net — after costs
  9. root — of a word
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. root — the cause
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. charge — electricity
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. shower — rain
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. net — in sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. root — of a plant
  21. kid — to tease
  22. content — happy
  23. net — for catching
  24. straw — dry grass

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