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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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. wound — an injury
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. kid — child
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fork — in a road
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. calf — of the leg

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