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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. file — a document
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. file — a tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a line of people
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. tube — a container
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. tube — the underground

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