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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. pit — in a race
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. track — a song
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lie — an untruth

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