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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. can — a tin
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. last — final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. last — finally
  24. season — in sport

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