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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bark — to shout
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. firm — decided
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. rush — hurry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. firm — steady
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. firm — a company
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — to tire

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