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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. root — of a word
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hand — in cards
  6. present — the time now
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kick — in football
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hand — help
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. present — a gift
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — the cause
  24. present — there

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