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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mine — for digging
  13. game — wild animals
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. firm — a company
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mine — an explosive

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