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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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 — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. root — of a plant
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. kid — child
  12. ball — a dance
  13. last — finally
  14. bark — to shout
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kid — to tease
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. snap — to click
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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