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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — what's left
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bat — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pass — a permit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pass — to spend time

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