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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. staff — a stick
  11. object — to protest
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. land — a country
  15. object — an aim
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. land — ground
  20. cap — a lid
  21. object — a thing
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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