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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. object — an aim
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cell — a phone
  14. object — a thing
  15. kid — child
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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