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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. object — an aim
  13. present — there
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. object — a thing
  16. staff — a stick
  17. present — a gift
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — for digging
  21. object — to protest
  22. staff — employees
  23. present — the time now
  24. cold — an illness

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