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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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468
Word bank
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. scale — in music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a match
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. scale — size or range
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rock — music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bat — in an idiom

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