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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spell — magic
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — the animal
  24. leaves — to go away

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