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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. squash — to crush
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. firm — decided
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — a partner
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mate — to breed
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — to play on
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. swing — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. swing — in golf
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mate — a friend
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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