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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chest — a box
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — to push
  7. rash — a series
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — a publisher
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. hand — help
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hand — part of the body

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