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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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 horse colour
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fall — the season
  5. swing — to play on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ground — a position
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pass — a permit
  17. swing — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fall — to drop

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