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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cold — an illness
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fine — all right
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cold — not warm
  14. tube — the underground
  15. band — a ring
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — to be able to

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