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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rest — a break
  4. last — final
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. hand — help
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — in sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. last — to go on
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. last — finally

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