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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. foot — a measure
  4. firm — a company
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. firm — decided
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. squash — the sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — to confront
  15. squash — to crush
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. firm — steady

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