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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. net — in sport
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. present — the time now
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — a gift
  20. tube — a container
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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