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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ground — a position
  3. hand — help
  4. cold — an illness
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rule — government
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. craft — boats
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rule — a law
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cold — not warm
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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