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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. present — there
  5. land — a country
  6. bass — low music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. land — ground
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. present — the time now
  20. land — to come down
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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