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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. net — after costs
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. net — for catching
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — in sport
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wake — a trail

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