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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. file — a tool
  3. last — finally
  4. swing — music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. swing — in golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. press — to push
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — a horse colour

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