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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 124 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. tube — the underground
  6. saw — the tool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — to recline
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — child
  23. tube — a container
  24. bay — a horse colour

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