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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. field — a subject
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. prune — to trim
  16. shower — rain
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. shower — to wash

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