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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. last — finally
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. clip — a video
  8. last — to go on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. last — final
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. saw — the tool

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