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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. can — a tin
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. scale — in music
  24. chair — a professorship

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