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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. craft — boats
  8. face — to point toward
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rest — a break
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. squash — the sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. face — to confront
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rash — a series
  24. rest — what's left

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