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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. roll — a cake
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. object — a thing
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. kid — child
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. object — an aim
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — goods
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pass — a permit
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stock — shares
  22. object — to protest
  23. roll — a list
  24. pass — to succeed

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