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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. perch — the fish
  8. suit — to fit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. board — to get on
  11. file — a document
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. file — a tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. board — a committee
  21. foot — a measure
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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