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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hand — help
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. chair — a leader

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