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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. object — an aim
  13. face — to confront
  14. object — a thing
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. object — to protest
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. scale — size or range

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