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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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