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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — the earth
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. capital — a city
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. capital — money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — help
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spring — of water
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bay — a horse colour

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