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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. land — a country
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. squash — the sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rest — a break
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. key — in music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — to crush
  16. kid — child
  17. land — ground
  18. rest — what's left
  19. key — the most important part
  20. land — to come down
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. kid — to tease

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