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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. object — an aim
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cold — an illness
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. object — to protest
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cold — not warm
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — a hat
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — a thing
  24. saw — the tool

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