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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. stem — to come from
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pit — a hole
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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