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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 116 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. capital — a city
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hand — help
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wind — moving air
  24. capital — money

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