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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. field — farmland
  3. key — in music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cue — a hint
  11. field — a subject
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mate — a friend
  14. tube — the underground
  15. field — for sport
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. tube — a container
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cue — for pool

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